Managing Your Game and Yourself

MANY FACTORS can contribute to reducing your golf score and lowering your handicap. Managing your game through a proper game plan is one of them. Course management is often the most overlooked aspect of golf. The fact is that a course management plan can make a huge difference in taking your game to the next level.

Ben Hogan said, “Golf is 20% talent and 80% management.”

Before playing, make sure you come up with a specific game plan and club selection off the tee. And make sure you commit to it. If you decide to play the percentages and not try to cut the corner and go for that par 5 in two, then do not change the plan because other players in your group are going for it. The biggest key to course management may be merely playing the high percentage shots that keep you out of trouble and play to your strengths in own your game.

I remember reading a story about Jack Nicklaus’ and a reaction he had to a missing a putt. A fan in the crowd said to Jack after he missed a short putt, “Sorry, you missed that putt, Jack.” And Jack’s response was: “I didn’t miss the putt. It just didn’t go in.”

The interesting thing about Jack’s mindset is that it is precisely how he should have responded. He knew that he rolled the putt on the line and had the correct speed, so in his mind, it was just as he imagined. This mindset protected his self-image and allowed him to stay positive without overthinking missing the putt like must of us do after missing a short putt. By responding this way, he avoided having the missed putt affect his self-confidence. He had the mental aptitude to let it go and stay positive! This something you want to strive for and model in your own game and life.

Believe me, I know about getting mad at yourself over a lack of performance, which is non-productive and will eat away at your attitude and confidence. The golf swing or stroke is not perfect. Some days it’s automatic, and other days you feel like you can’t do anything right.

If you find yourself losing your patience, getting frustrated, and losing your focus, stop for a second and breathe thinking about the only thing you can control, it’s your attitude in how you respond. If you did the best you could, under the circumstances, then let it end there and regroup for the next shot.

I know you want to do our best. However, it’s simple if you think about it. There are some things we have no control over, so it doesn’t make sense putting yourself down. Zig Ziglar said, “You are who you are and what you are because of what has gone into your mind. You can change who you are and what you are by changing what goes into your mind.”

Everything you think and tell yourself is programming your mind, so make it positive and productive. Carefully choose what you think and how you talk to yourself and others

.

Negative thoughts

and self-talk is simply

a bad habit that you

can change. First, start

by listening and recognizing what you are

saying to yourself, identify the negative, and

work to put an end to the negative self-talk

and thoughts. In short, focus on staying

positive, and you will enjoy golf more and

the people around you as well.